Have you ever given someone a gift and later realized they have not cared for it? Do
they seem ungrateful because they have not maintained it properly? How did that make
you feel?
I remember many birthday or Christmas gifts given to our own children over the years
that were given to them with great excitement. Many of these got broken or tossed
aside very shortly afterward due to neglect. Many were received, at the time, with great
enthusiasm and gratitude but were not taken care of properly afterward. Usually this
was a result of immaturity. Now, have you ever been given a gift from your Heavenly
Father with the same result? I admit, I have.
I have had to repent and ask forgiveness in the past for ignoring gifts given to me by my
Lord, gifts that were not maintained, or I did not continue to show my gratefulness for. It
is something that I’ve had to work on as I have matured in my Christian Walk. Just like
my children would often fail to continue to show gratitude and take care of gifts they
received when they were young and immature, I realized I had done the same thing.
Almost two years ago I began experiencing symptoms of a stroke. I spent the next two
days in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. Most of that time I was
unconscious. On the third day, I finally woke up. The doctors explained that they knew I
had experienced a stroke, however they could not find any evidence of it. The doctors
said my blood pressure and my blood sugar numbers were drastically high which
caused the stroke symptoms. They said I needed to make some drastic lifestyle
changes, or I would most likely be right back in the hospital or worse.
I am so thankful and grateful for the gift of healing I received from God. I never want to
take it for granted or not honor the gift I was given like I might have when I was a little
less mature in my Christian Walk. Having received such a valuable gift of my health, I
realized how seriously I had to take the doctor’s warnings. I had to make those changes
to take care of and maintain the gift I had been given.
These changes have certainly not been easy, but necessary to show my gratitude. God
has also been faithful to help me stay on course. He does not expect me to do the hard
things alone. He is always there to strengthen me. James 4:8 tells us, come close to
God and He will come close you. As I took those steps of commitment to make the
changes all I had to do was draw near to God, ask for His help, and He was faithful to
draw near to me and give me all the strength I needed.
We all have been given gifts from God, whether it is a healing like mine was, or any
other form of answered prayer. How have you shown your gratefulness and
appreciation lately? Don’t be guilty of neglecting your gifts.
